Tony Blair has ruled out further subsidies to safeguard the country's declining post office network despite a petition with four million names demanding urgent action being handed in to 10 Downing Street today, reports The Times.
The PM said that up to £2 billion had already been invested and with current subsidies at £150 million a year, no more money would be made available.
As he spoke, thousands of postmasters attended a rally in Westminster to try and stave off the unravelling Britain's rural network.
Current subsidies at £150 million a year sounds a lot. But it's nothing in context of the cash we pay the EU, without justification given they can't tell us how they spend it.
That post office subsidy will be a bit more than one week's worth of next year's net contribution to the EU at £115 million a week, if MPs vote to approve the EU budget deal Blair did last December when it comes before Parliament.
The government could afford more to keep these vital community services open if such vast amounts weren't being wasted by handing them to the EU.
MPs who vote this money away to the EU will have no defence if their local post office faces closure due to a lack of government support.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment